Going, going, gone - So many species are nearing extinction

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Going, going, gone

Editorial
The Pioneer
http://www.dailypioneer.com
Friday, September 14, 2012�

So many species are nearing extinction

As if the frequent portents of an eco-system devastated
and denuded by the relentless march of civilisation and
threatened flora and fauna are not unnerving enough,
comes the news that four Indian species figure in the
list of the 100 most threatened in the world.

The Great Indian Bustard, the White Bellied Heron, the
poisonous vibrant blue hued spider Gooty Tarantula and
the Batagur Buska, a rare species of turtle, are now
quite literally the stuff for textbooks on nature � to be
only written about and read. This is alarming, but not
surprising, given that over the years the sighting of
these small but no less exotic creatures has become as
rare as the interest and efforts about their
conservation, spurring the International Union for
Conservation of Nature and the Zoological Society of
London to place them in their list of most endangered
species. The Great Indian Bustard once crowded the
landscape in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan and
Karnataka. And Ooty boasted of an amenable habitat for
the Tarantula. Highlighting the plight of these
endangered species across the world, the IUCN has
criticised respective Governments for denying them due
attention. But India has no reason to gloat over the fact
that a mere four species, among the many of once
plentiful fauna, which are extinct or facing a certain
demise, figure in this list. Over the years serious
concerns have been voiced by wildlife lovers and
conservationists about the declining number of vital
fauna and flora in the country. The plight of the
�gravely endangered' species, paucity of funds and an
ineffective implementation of the Special Programme for
Recovery of Critically Endangered Species have all
conspired to stymie the feeble conservation efforts in
the past. Ironically, the news, gloomy as it is, may well
serve the cause of these small creatures, just like that
of the other species, the almost-on-the-brink of
extinction chirpy house sparrow, which was recently
accorded the status of �State Bird' of Delhi.

The question therefore is: Is it because these small
species lack the �charisma� of the bigger endangered
animals like the tigers, rhinos, the elephants and the
pythons that they have failed to garner enough public
attention or conservation attempts? Wildlife experts have
complained of meagre allocation of funds to protect the
last remaining habitats of India's most critically
endangered species. These include the rare Kashmir stag
Hangul, the snow leopard and the Manipur deer. The fate
of the gharial, the Gangetic river dolphin and the near-
extinction of the vultures and their impact as nature's
most efficient scavenger are well known. Yet, little has
been done to create awareness about conservation of the
environment and our wildlife. Every species is crucial to
the eco-system. People must be made aware that to make
this planet safer we need to make it a safe world for all
creatures, big and small.

More at:

http://www.dailypioneer.com/columnists/item/52450-going-going-gone.html

Jai Maharaj, Jyotishi
Om Shanti

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